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Letter: I support Sen. Gimse

By Norm Baker, Willmar on Oct 29, 2010 at 12:00 a.m.

I'd like to say a few words in support of Sen. Joe Gimse. He won his Senate seat by defeating a well-respected opponent who chose to go against public opinion. The gentleman he defeated soon learned that public opinion can be a very powerful tool, as the upcoming elections are expected to prove.

I strongly suspect that the influence of the tea party movement could be the deciding factor in several of the races in the upcoming elections. The goal of the tea party movement is to unseat RINOs, Republicans in Name Only, and incumbents who voted for Obama's outrageous spending bills. In my opinion, the returns from the midterm elections will prove how important it is for politicians to start paying more attention to public opinion.

I personally know Sen. Gimse's opponent, Larry Rice. I believe he's a fair and honorable man. In fact, I used to work for him, and I respected him as my employer. However, I do have some reservations about his pledge to throw more money at education.

Do you think we'll ever hear these words from the Department of Education: "Please stop sending us so much money!" I doubt it. They'll just create another way to spend it.

I understand the importance of providing a good education for our children. However, in my opinion, the time has come to start questioning what really constitutes a good education?

For example, are extracurricular events considered a necessary part of the education process, and to what extent do they contribute to a child's education? There are other areas that should also be questioned, but due to lack of space, they'll have to wait for another time. These are difficult questions, but these are trying times, so I believe it's a subject that should be addressed.

One thing is clear. Our state budget has a cash flow problem, like many of us do. It's time to get serious about cutting back on spending, because raising taxes isn't a popular option, especially, during tough economic times. We need a senator who will hold the line on spending. In my opinion, Sen. Gimse is that man.